A friend of mine recently acquired some used games. We were both stressed out this week, so we got together to play I Ate Zombies, by University Games. I Ate Zombies is a very simple but fast-paced card game for 2 or more players. As with most “2 or more” games, it can be played by 2 people but is more enjoyable in a group. I Ate Zombies, published in 2012, is a horror-themed game inspired by I Have, a children’s game also published by University Games in 2004. To make things even more complicated, I Have itself was given an adult reboot in 2019, where the cute animals of the original kids game were replaced by alcoholic beverages.
I always feel a little nervous when it comes to secondhand games, but luckily all components were there: 54 full colour, double sided cards, divided into 18 different monsters, and one double sided instruction card. It says a lot about the simplicity of the game that everything can be explained in a space approximately the size of two standard Hoyle playing cards. That being said, I think that the wording could be improved. To begin, the dealer divides all the cards among all the players. The box just says that the game is for “2 players or more” and the game’s BoardGameGeek page humorously describes it as being for “2 – 99 players”. But I did a little math, and the practical upper limit seems to be about 11 players, which would have 10 players with 5 cards each and one player with 4 cards. Each player is supposed to lay out all of their cards in front of them, with the “I ate” side facing up. In a multiplayer game, this would require a rather large table. Even with only the two of us, my friend and I struggled to find a way to display all the cards.
The player to the left of the dealer chooses one of their cards and reads it out loud (for example, “I ate a Werewolf”) and turns the card over and reads the Who Ate side (for example, “Who ate a Zombie”), before playing the card Who Ate side up, in the middle of the table, creating the Pit of Darkness (aka the discard pile). At this moment, all players (including the person who played the card) rush to find an “I Ate” card that matches the ‘Who Ate” question. Only the first person who finds a match is allowed to discard, which they must do by reading out (for example) “I ate a Zombie, Who ate a Ghost?” At this point, all pretense of turn-based gameplay ends, as everyone tries to get rid of their cards as quickly as possible. The rules card describes this as “The first player to place his or her card is allowed to go next; play continues as stated above until a player gets rid of his or her last card.” I understand the attempt to be concise, but the phrase “as stated above” may be seen as including the step where a card is chosen from a player’s “hand”, which could be confusing for younger players.
This is a fast-paced game, easily finished in under ten minutes. Strategists need not apply; you need to be able to think fast and act faster. Board Game Geek rightfully described it as level one complexity, but in the right “party game” setting, you could have a lot of fun. You could play many games back to back, tournament style; or just enjoy a few casual rounds while waiting for a more complex game to be set up. Pull out this game next Halloween or Friday the 13th, or any time you might be horrifically hungry. Just remember to bring your own snacks, because as it says on the box, “No actual food included.”
You can find out more about University Games online at www.universitygames.com or on their facebook page: facebook.com/UniversityGamesUSA.
